Chapter Seven
The following morning, Dinah stared across the rim of her coffee mug and at the kitchen doorway. She was already dressed and ready for work. There were several clients lined up for the day, and there was no way she was calling in sick.
Her lips still tingled from last night. She didn’t even know how the kiss ended, and who made their escape first. It might have been her, but she had a feeling Road also made his escape. He’d stayed the night as his bike was still parked in her driveway.
A couple of her neighbors had given her disapproving looks over the past few days, but she didn’t care. Road had filled a void she didn’t even know she had. She didn’t even realize how lonely she’d been until he started coming around. On the nights he showed up late, that loneliness had a way of sinking into her heart, threatening to spill over. It made the loss of her mother even more apparent.
She tensed up as she heard him coming down the corridor toward the kitchen. She held onto her cup in a death grip and waited. Her heart raced. She’d struggled to get to sleep last night as all she could feel was his lips on hers. They were hard and yet soft at the same time, which made little to no sense. Life at the moment didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
There were moments she couldn’t help but wonder if her mother would be upset with her choice of a friend. She’d always struggled to make friends, even as a kid. Playdates hadn’t been high on her childhood schedule.
Pushing those insecurities to the back of her mind, she offered Road a smile as he stepped into the room. He surprised her as he walked up toward her, gripped her waist, and kissed her right on the lips.
“Morning, beautiful,” he said.
“M-morning.” Her lips still tingled from the night before, and now they felt like they were doing so again. She pressed her lips together. How did she broach this conversation with him?
“You’ve got a busy day?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah, it’s kind of full. A lot of appointments.”
“I’ll be around tonight,” he said. “I’ve got to head back to the clubhouse.”
“Okay.”
He chuckled.
“What?” she asked.
“You want to ask, ask.”
She laughed and then averted her gaze. What did she say?
“Do you want to talk about that kiss?” he asked.
Her cheeks started to heat.
“Or are you curious about exactly what else we can do?”
This made her lift her head up. “What?”
He chuckled. “You heard me. We’re both consenting adults. I think that kiss was pretty good. Better than good, and I’m thinking, if you’re game, you and I can have some fun with this.”
She took a deep breath and couldn’t deny her body went on high alert. She hadn’t been obsessed with sex or guys. It hadn’t really entered her mind about either, until now as she looked at Road.
“Are you suggesting I use you?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’m saying it could be fun. You trust me. I trust you. Why not? Unless you want to trust a total stranger with something so precious.”
“You’re not even going to suggest helping me find someone long-term?” she asked. “You know, like in the movies. You could be my best friend, but…”
“I am your best friend, and no, I don’t believe in finding some guy who can make you feel good.” He took several steps toward her. He took the coffee out of her hand, and then cupped her cheek, tilting her head back at the same time. “What I believe is showing you, guiding you with the skills to take care of your own pleasure. You don’t need a man to give you that. When you’re ready, you can find a man long-term.”
That shouldn’t have sounded so … sexy, but it did. She licked her dry lips and struggled to find the words to even deny or agree with him.
“You’d teach me?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“What do you get out of this?” she asked. “Don’t you have women falling all over themselves to make you feel good?”
Road burst out laughing, and it didn’t sound particularly nice, or even entertaining. She couldn’t help but wince.
He pointed at his face, but she didn’t see the scars. She was starting to understand that before his scars, Road relied on his face at every possible turn. Sergey Golubev had taken that away from him, and in a way stripped him of his identity, took everything. Others might consider him exaggerating or a little self-centered, but Dinah got it. After seeing what it did to her mother, who had never hurt another person in her life, she understood Road’s pain.
She reached up and touched his face, the scars as well, and stared into his eyes. “I’d like that,” she said. “You and me, no judgment, just … experimenting with each other. Tell me what you want from me?”
Dinah couldn’t even believe she was offering this, but it felt so right and her mother had always told her to follow her gut.
“You,” he said. “Not holding back, taking what you want, enjoying me. That is what I want, and I don’t want you to ever flinch from me.”
“I could never do that. Road, you’re not scary.”
“Trust me, to a lot of women, I am.”
“Is that what you want?” she asked. “To be with a woman who doesn’t just look at your face?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him, seeing the complete honesty staring back at her, and she was a little startled. Road didn’t repulse nor terrify her.
“Okay, but I think we should both agree that you’re not allowed to, well, you know, strangle me.”
He groaned. “Please, I am never going to live that down, am I?”
She chuckled. “It’s fine. I get it.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that you were all part of the Bratva at one time, and now you’re all not, and you’ve got a score to settle. You thought I might be working with the Golubev to worm my way into your club.” She shrugged. “At least, that is what I’ve gotten from our very brief conversations.”
“You’re on point.”
She offered him a smile, even though this wasn’t something to be smiling about. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked, taking several steps away from him, bringing about some distance.
“I’d love a cup, but first I want you to come here.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see.”
“I haven’t been the type of woman who’s big on surprises.”
He chuckled. “I’m starting to see that, but this is a different kind of surprise.”
She ignored the coffeepot and made her way toward him, stepping up close, and then he surprised her by cupping her cheeks. She still didn’t flinch. Road didn’t scare her, not anymore. Their friendship had changed during the brief time she’d known him, and she knew there was no going back. She liked Road, especially when he wasn’t trying to threaten her.
Within seconds, his lips were on hers and she couldn’t help but moan as he took possession of her lips. She put her hands on his chest, once again marveling at the sheer strength beneath her palms. Slowly, she slid them around his neck, drawing her body flush against his. His tongue traced across her lips, and she felt that tingle going straight to her core.
All she wanted do was wrap her legs around his waist and bring friction against her pussy. She needed to be touched, but she also knew she was crazy to want that, so she quickly pulled away.
“That is just a taste of what’s to come.”
****
Road arrived back at the clubhouse, feeling a little lighter in his step.
“I thought you’d be in a shittier mood,” Sarge said the moment he passed him, going toward the back of the clubhouse to where his room was located.
“And why would that be?”
“Brute’s orders are we’re to back off for now, and that hasn’t changed.”
He tensed up. Nikki and his meddling bullshit ways. “What?”
“You heard,” Sarge said. “I was the one that got the shortest stick, to come and stop your ass from losing your shit.”
“Where’s Brute?”
“In his office with Faith, you know you can’t go in there.”
Road didn’t give a fuck what he could and couldn’t do. He needed to see Brute, and it had to be fucking now. He was furious. He understood not going in right away after Nikki’s request, but they were the ones that finally had the Bratva on the short noose.
Storming into Brute’s office, he wasn’t surprised to see Faith sitting on one of the sofas with Brute between her thighs, kissing her naked stomach. Brute had shoved up her shirt until it was beneath her breasts, but the moment he stormed in, she started to scramble to cover her stomach. He didn’t give a fuck about her pregnant stomach. The only person he wanted to see was Brute.
“What the fuck?” Brute asked, getting to his feet.
“You’re backing away? You’re getting cold feet?” he asked.
“Uh, I guess this is my cue to go,” Faith said, getting to her feet.
“Sit,” Brute said. He glared past his shoulder at Sarge. “I thought I told you to control him.”
“Dude, I did what I could, but it seems he didn’t get the updated memo.”
Road wasn’t interested in what Sarge had to say. He was far more interested in what was not going on at the club.
“Is that what you’re trying to do? Control me?”
“Damn it, Road, you know there’s a time and place for everything.”
He snorted. “Holy shit, you are getting cold feet, aren’t you? Why? Scared the Golubev will come and rape your woman? Steal your kid? Guess what, they’ve done all those things.” Road took a step closer toward Brute. “I guess you don’t even know who you’re dealing with.”
“And you think you do?”
“I know who I am dealing with,” Road said. “I was his right-hand man for a long time, Brute. You know what you know, but on the surface you know nothing.”
“Get out,” Brute said.
“You think she is safe by backing down. All you’re doing is saving Nikki’s ass, because he’s getting fuck all done. You’re messing up our chance. You continue to hit Golubev where it hurt s— all the fucking tim e— until you finally get your chance to end him, and then, one by one, you watch them all fall. You think you’re doing the right thing.” He shook his head and looked at Faith. “She doesn’t stand a chance unless you’re willing to have some balls to save her.”
He expected the blow to the face, and he welcomed it. The truth was, there was no point in fighting Brute. Golubev had won. It was just a matter of time before he took them all out.
He shook his head, wiping the blood from his mouth. Road had known true pain, true torture, and he stared at the blood. Turning on his heel, he walked out of Brute’s office, and then, rather than going to his bedroom, he went straight to his bike.
“Dude, what the fuck?” Hail asked, coming out to him. “What are you doing?”
“Get the fuck back,” he said. Road wasn’t interested in making conversation right now. He needed to clear his head, and there was only one place he wanted to be.
Climbing onto his bike, he watched as several of the guys came out of the clubhouse and watched him leave. He didn’t know if any of them were going to follow him, and if he was honest, he didn’t give a fuck. None of them knew.
Yes, the Golubev Bratva had fucked them up in ways people couldn’t imagine, but Brute should have known better. Road certainly did. Sergey Golubev didn’t inspire peace. They had attacked him where it hurt the most, and the consequences for what they had done were going to come back and bite them in the ass. There was no doubt about it.
He’d watched Golubev from the edge. He had seen him give orders and watched them go through. One of the men had been identified as an informant for the police, and what did Sergey do? He ordered the rape of the man’s pregnant wife, which then followed with her giving birth, and Sergey took the child. Then, he killed the man, after he had taken out the man’s entire family. Road had seen him do this. The kid was sent to an orphanage if it was a boy, and if it was a girl, it was sold to the highest bidder.
There was always speculation about what Sergey did with the girls, but Road never knew for sure. Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all true.
Where Sergey had an orphanage for boys, that would bring about the next level of soldiers for the Bratva. For the girls, there were always two tales told. One, they were sold to rich families who wanted a child and couldn’t have one. The second story was, there was another kind of orphanage owned by Sergey, where he would have the girls trained in the art of seduction. The most beautiful would remain virgins and be sold to the highest bidder. The ones that were not quite as beautiful would become puppets for Sergey. They had no choice in the matter. Their life was to please the men and women who came to them.
Again, Road had never seen these places, just heard rumors.
When he thought Sergey was his friend, he would ask about them, but all he’d get as an answer was laughter, and told not to listen to gossip. Looking back now, he felt fucking furious. He had trusted Sergey. But with the level of depravity the man would go to, Road knew it was only a matter of time before it got turned back around on the club. They had to continue hitting where it hurt.
Road arrived outside the beauty salon where Dinah worked. He couldn’t help but smile as several people attempted to scurry past him, as if he couldn’t see them.
Staring through the glass, Dinah hadn’t noticed him, and she worked next to the window. She never complained about having a window seat. Today, she was dressed in black pants and a white fitted top. Her outfit emphasized her curves, and she looked stunning. He couldn’t help but admire every inch of her. She was so graceful.
The way she held the dryer she was using, and held her body. His cock got hard at the thought of being inside her. And no other man had even tried to fight for her. It was laughable. He was going to fight for her every step of the way.
Someone must have said something because suddenly she turned to look behind her, and then her gaze went to his. The moment she saw him, she smiled. He watched her speak to her client and then move toward the door, stepping out of it, and coming toward him.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, reaching out to touch his lip, which he imagined was bruised.
“Trust me, I’ve had worse.”
“Wow, I don’t even want to know what worse looks like.” She took a deep breath. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. None of this … it’s all good.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not right now. Do you mind if I watch you?”
She chuckled. “I don’t mind, but I think a few of the women might be a little taken aback. If you’re wanting a place to crash, here.” She handed him a set of keys. “Go and make yourself at home, and by that, I mean, watch a movie, freshen up. I think I’ve got a couple of clean pairs of pants for you.”
“Thanks,” he said, taking the keys.
She reached out and put a hand to his cheek. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He had no doubt Dinah would believe his hesitation in leaving Sergey alone.
“I better get back. I’ll see you later tonight?”
“You can count on it, and I will also have dinner ready for you.”
Dinah laughed, but she did look toward him before she stepped back into the salon, and then focused once again on her client.
****
“Are you okay?” Faith asked.
“I’m fine, babe,” Brute said, reaching out toward her and gripping her hand. Road hadn’t returned all day long.
They had problems like this for many years. Road and his thirst for revenge always become a problem. He wanted to hit Sergey Golubev hard, and Brute understood it, but he also knew there was a time and a place to do it. He wasn’t following Nikki’s orders.
Golubev wasn’t in the country. After one of his brothels had closed and several business associates had shut their doors on him, he’d taken an extended trip abroad. Nikki didn’t know where. He was told to take care of business until he returned.
This wasn’t good. Brute knew Golubev was up to something.
“Look, I may be pregnant with the whole Mommy memory and stuff, but you can trust me. You know that, right?”
He smiled up at her. “I know I can trust you.”
Faith’s smile lit up his whole world.
“Good,” she said. “Do you want to tell me what is going on?”
“You know what’s going on, and Road can’t accept it. He thinks I’m doing what Nikki wants me to do.”
“Technically, you kind of are. You’re taking a step back so he doesn’t have to worry about doing the whole investigating, and the threat and all that. So, I do get it.”
“Babe, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side, but you have to admit, sometimes you do need to be told when you’re being an ass.”
He chuckled. He wasn’t going to tell her the whole truth. Their pregnancy had been lucky so far. He knew any decision he made could impact her just as much. This wasn’t just about him and the club anymore. This was about all of them.
Sergey was up to something, and he had a horrible feeling about it.